> form follows forces Designing a motorshow is more a question of communication then architecture. Our design is not a container for Information but communication itself. Its means are metaphors and emotional space. Highlight of the stand was a freeform in the shape of a drop of water that visitors could walk into, and was intended to be a supersign for hydrogen-based technology.
> formgeneration of the bubble In order to make a building appear like a giant water drop, its skin must express the fragile balance between internal pressure and surface tension.
> digital production of the bubble 305 different acrylic-glass plates were heat formed onto individually CNC milled foam blocks, and then trimmed at the edges, again with CNC. The computer model and constructed surface are absolutely identical, and with a thickness of 8 mm approach the dimensionless data-surface. The effort expended, when one considers the lack of standardization, is of course immense – each pane is a one-off. The substructure is based on orthogonal sections made from sheet aluminum. An additional level of abstraction or derivation to the mastergeometry was thereby introduced. The section cutting was carried out using CNC-driven water-jet cutters in seven different factories, and the 3500 individual pieces necessary were completed with required drill holes and assembly markings, so that the manual work on site for assembly could be reduced.
